The present invention is directed to a sunshade or sunscreen for a vehicle.
As is well known, due to the large areas of glass and the metallic roof of vehicles, vehicles are readily heated up by the sun's rays. The heat causes discomfort to occupants and deteriorates the vehicle's interior. Additionally, the ultraviolet rays of the sun bleach the vehicle's interior.
Conventional methods for reducing the heating and bleaching effects are costly, ineffective or inefficient, for example, cooling by an air conditioner, or use of higher heat dissipation fabrics for the interior of vehicle. For instance, it is infeasible to use an air conditioner for cooling the interior while a vehicle is parked.
Several types of prior sunshades as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,068,885; 3,917,340; 3,476,436; 2,635,615; 2,608,942; 2,628,123; and 3,957,301. These sunshades have one or more of the following disadvantages: cumbersome size and shape; shade only the roof but not the windows of the vehicle; unadjustable for vehicles of different sizes; not readily removable; not readily collapsible into a compact storage position; or permanently attached to the roof causing higher fuel consumption due to air resistance during a vehicle's motion.
Accordingly, there is a need for a vehicle sunshade that overcomes the above disadvantages, yet is simple, easy to set up, easy to fold into compact storage, and is inexpensive to produce and maintain.